Improvement in g-rape-trellis



taten'. @mail oiga.

ALVIN RATHBU-N, OF SMITHS MLLS, NEW YORK.

Laim Parent No. 88,074, dated March 2e, i869.

IMPROVEMENT IN' G-RAPE-TRELLIS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and`making part o! the same.

To all whom it may conce/rn:

have invented anew and useful Trellis for Training- Grape and other Vines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in a verticallydriven stake, or post, with lateral-branching arms, made to assume any convenient angle between that of horizontal and perpendicular, by being confined in a band,'

or ring, that encompasses the vertical stake, with one end of each branching arm so inserted within the ring that the lower edge of each arm rests upon the upper Aedge of said ling, and the upper edge of the same arm bearing upon the lower and opposite edge of said ring, the sides of the arms being confined between the edge of the vertical post and -adjoining inner surface ofthe ling, suiicient space being left therefor, the proper inclination, or angle of the arms being determined by the width-0f the vertical post and the width of the ring.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction.

I first drive into the ground the vertical post A, which may be of any convenient length out of the ground, ac-

cording as a greater or less number of the branching arms is required.

I enclose the upper portion of this post with a ring, B, which ring is of a length suiiicent to enable it to be easily slipped over .the post, but its width is equal to that of the thickness of the arms C, when placed within the ring.

It is evident, then, that if the said arms, supposing two only are employed, are inserted vertically between the inner edge of the ring B and the adjoining edge of the post A, and the upper ends of each arm allowed to assume inclinations in opposite directions, the said arms`will be retained at an angle between the horizontal and perpendicular, by the-under edge of each arm bearing on the upper edge of the ring, andthe upper edge of the same arm bearing on the lower, and opposite edge of the ring.

Instead of two arms, as shown in the drawings, an indefinite number maybe used, and by the post A being'of a greater length, another series of arms, confined in a similar ring, may be similarly placed at a distance above the lower series.

The angle of the branching arms 0 is determined by the width of the -post A, or by the vertical width ofthe ring B, as may be most convenient.

Some of the'advantages claimed for this method of training vines are' that they, being thus supported at an angle', aord superior advautagesibr fruiting over the vertical and horizontal methods; and in a trellis so constructed, the several arms may be easily withdrawn from the ring, as is often required for the purpose ofA laying down thevines, for the purpose of coveling them, for protection during Ithe Winter; or the arms may be so removed, to enable teams to pass between them, as is .the case when cultivation is necessary. The arms maybe raised to a vertical position, and so retained, to admit of the latter process.

I do not claim broadly any individual feature herein shown, my invention being limited to the combination hereinafter expressed.

I claim the combination of the post A and the band B with the oblique bars C, as my invention. A

ALVIN RATHBUN.. Witnesses:

MASON HOWARD, J. D. Human. 

